Windshield for automobiles



Dec. 26, 1933. E. L. KRAFT WINDSHIELD FOR AUTOMOBILES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 2, 1931 du/a g? 3am/L Y #fm H7 nu.

Dec. 26, 1933. E. L.. KRAFT WINDSHIELD FOR AUTOMOBILES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2, 1931 Patented Dec. Z6, 1933 l V1,941,176 *n v WINDSHIELD FOR AUTOMOBILES Edward L. Kraft, York, Pa., assigner to Martin- Parry Corporation, w 'Delaware York, Pa., a corporation of 'Appiicatibnseptember;1.931. ffserialnmssasos `6 claims.-l (011296-841 This invention relates to windshield controlling mechanism .of the mono-controlf'type and constitutes `an improvement upon the general idea disclosed Vand broadlyclaimed inthe Beitman i application Serial No. 386,780,fled August 19,

".10" positively in its adjusted position.

The present invention` relates particularlyto a positive latching mechanism controlled by a conveniently located handle for xing the shield Further objectsV of the invention will befapparent to those skilled inthe art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings attached hereto and forming a "j part hereof in which Fig. 1 represents an elevation of a portion of the shield showing in a general way the con'- trolling mechanism and the securing mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; K

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the latching mechanism taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 4-4 of y Fig. 2;

f ment relative thereto.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the connection between the controlling mechanism and the latch taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is another detail sectional view of the rack and the latch therefor.

Referring now particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the conventional stationary windshield frame which may be of any desired construction; 2 represents a swinging shield secured tothe windshield frame by a piano hinge 3. A 1 bracing arm may be secured to one or both sides of the windshield frame as at 4 for pivotal move- Housed within the lower marginal part of the windshield are push rods 5 which may be spread apart by the cam 6 actu- `4"0'i ated by the handle?. The outer ends of the push rods 5 are adjustably connected as at 8 to a device 9 which in turn is secured as at 10 to a bell crank lever 11 which is secured to the locking rod 12 to impartrotary movement thereto iagainst the tension, in one direction, of the spring 13 conveniently located in the housing 14, which housing is secured in any desired manner to the windshield 2.

The numeral 15 represents a rocking latch element which has a cylinder splined to the locking rod as at 16`for relative vertical movement with respect thereto with a purpose hereinafter described. A connecting lever 17 isV pivoted as at 18 to the bracing arm 4' and is provided with two spaced sleeves 19 and 20 which'are i'reely slidablefand rotatable on the locking rod `12 in accordance with the movements of the shield.

YWithin the housing isy provided a vertically disposed-rack 21 ,having a series of-v closely spaced teeth and into which the latch bar 15' tswhen in locked position. f Y j In the operation ofthedevice, the driver may with `onehand turn the handle 7 to thereby actuate the push rods 5 to spread the same and'to impart a rotary movementk to the locking'rod 12. Due to the r`fact that theV locking rod 12 hasL slidably keyed theretoVY the latch l15 such rotary `movement imparts a corresponding movement to the latch and thereby forces the same into lengagement with the rack against the tension of the spring 13. In that condition the shield is maintained in its adjusted position. To close or to effect a further adjustment, the control handle is moved in another direction which causes the rocking latch to move out of engagement with the rack to clear the same and thereafter the latch and the connecting lever 17 may freely'slide in consonance with the movements of the shield to the position where it is` desired to maintain the shield. It is to be observed that the handle 7 in addition to functioning as a controlling handle may be also used as a push lever so that the operator may simultaneously release the latch from the rack and push the shield outwardly.

Having thus described my invention what I claim 'is as follows:

1. In combination, a windshield frame, a

kwindshield swingingly mounted therein, a control mechanism for fixing the shield in its adjusted position, said control mechanism comprising a housing secured to the windshield and -between the bracingY means'and the rod and maintain the shield in its desired position of adjustment.

2. In combination, a l windshield frame, a Windshield swingingly mounted therein, bracing -movable therewith, a vertically disposed rod lomeans for said shield hinged at one end of the frame and slidably connected at the other end to the windshield in accordance with the movements of the shield, a locking rod, a slidable connection between the bracing means and the locking rod, said locking rod being secured to the Windshield, means for rotating said locking rod, a rocking latch secured to the rod, a rack into which the latch moves, and means for rotating said locking rod and said latch into engagement with the rack whereby to prevent or permit sliding action of said bracing means relative to the shield.

3. In combination, a windshieldv frame, a windshield swingingly mounted therein, abracing device, a guiding element for the bracing device, a rotating locking rodjsaid guiding element being slidably disposed on said'rod during the various open positions of the shield, means for restraining said sliding movement, said means comprising a rotating latch secured to the locking rod and a rack bar cooperating therewith, and means for rotating said rod whereby to x thelatch in any desired position of adjustment of the shield.

4. In combination, a Windshield frame, a windshield swingingly mounted therein, a bracing device, a housing carried by the shield, a locking rodfmounted therein, a latch operated by the locking rod, a rack spaced from and parallel with the rod to engage the latch, a connec-l tion between the bracing deviceand 'the rod permitting relative sliding action therebetween when the shield is undergoing adjustment, a handle, and a connection between the handle and the locking rod for actuating saidV latch to` secure the shield in any determined position of adjustment.

5. In combination, a windshield frame, a windshield mounted for outward swinging movement therein, bracing means secured to the frame, a housing attached to the windshield, a locking rod rotatably mounted therein, a latch slidably keyed on the rod, a rack spaced from the rod for engaging the latch, a control handle, a. connection betweenthe control handle'and the locking rod whereby movement of the handle actuates the rod and turns the latch into engagement with the rack, and a lever secured to the bracing means to slide on said locking rod and limited in its sliding movement by said latch when engaging said rack. Y

6. In combination, a windshield frame', a windshield swingingly mounted therein, means for securing said windshield in adjusted position, said means comprising Va bracing device, a joint- 1y rotatable locking rod and latch carried bythe windshield, a rack spaced from the rod for engagement with the latch, means secured to the windshield for rotating the locking rod and the latch to cause the latter to engage with the rack to prevent relative movement between the bracing device and the windshield. Y.

EDWARD L. KRAFT. 

